KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A new fire station is open in the Karns community as Knox County continues to grow.
The Karns Fire Department held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion and opening of the new Karns Fire Department headquarters station on Thursday. The new headquarters will allow the department to move its business personnel from the existing building on Oak Ridge Highway, which is now for sale. The new headquarters will also serve as the fifth fire station for the department and provide fire and rescue services in Karns, Hardin Valley, Ball Camp and Solway.
“Obviously, with growth in the community comes growth in the fire department. So that’s what this facility is. It’s a big facility, a little too big for us right now. But why plan for something that you need immediately when it limits your future growth down the road,” said Herman Lathers, Karns Fire Chief.
The building can house six firefighters and has the potential to add four more rooms if needed. It will also hold a ladder truck, a boat, a workout facility, a training tower and the department’s new rescue truck, which was bought in 2023…